It may surprise you to know that Russia has a surface area that rivals Pluto’s.
Russia’s 17 million square kilometers make it the world’s largest country, although Canada, China, and the U.S. rank close behind.
Today’s visualization shows countries around the world and their land areas, based on data from Worldometer.
TL;DR
- Russia dominates the Asia rankings, with China in second place at 9.7 million square kilometers.
- Large countries are challenging to govern due to their extensive infrastructure, diverse climate, and uneven population distribution.
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Country | Total Area (km²) | Land Area (km²) | World Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Russia | 17,098,242.00 | 16,376,870 km² | 11.00% |
| 2 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Canada | 9,984,670.00 | 9,093,510 km² | 6.11% |
| 3 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | China | 9,706,961.00 | 9,388,211 km² | 6.30% |
| 4 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | United States | 9,372,610.00 | 9,147,420 km² | 6.14% |
| 5 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Brazil | 8,515,767.00 | 8,358,140 km² | 5.61% |
| 6 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Australia | 7,692,024.00 | 7,682,300 km² | 5.16% |
| 7 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | India | 3,287,590.00 | 2,973,190 km² | 2.00% |
| 8 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Argentina | 2,780,400.00 | 2,736,690 km² | 1.84% |
| 9 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Kazakhstan | 2,724,900.00 | 2,699,700 km² | 1.81% |
| 10 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:10 PM | Algeria | 2,381,741.00 | 2,381,740 km² | 1.60% |
As you can see, Russia is the biggest country, with 17 million square kilometers. It spans 11 time zones, from the Arctic to Pacific beaches.
Canada is second, with nearly 10 million km² of rugged land and the longest shoreline.
China and the U.S. are comparable in size, with areas of approximately 9.6 million and 9.4 million square kilometers, respectively.
The difference is how they count territories.
It’s important to also note that Greenland is an autonomous territory, not a sovereign state.
World’s Smallest Countries (Top 30)
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Country | Total Area (km²) | Land Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Vatican City | 0.44 km² | 0.44 km² |
| 2 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monaco | 2.02 km² | 2.02 km² |
| 3 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Nauru | 21 km² | 21 km² |
| 4 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Tuvalu | 26 km² | 26 km² |
| 5 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | San Marino | 61 km² | 61 km² |
| 6 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Liechtenstein | 160 km² | 160 km² |
| 7 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Marshall Islands | 181 km² | 181 km² |
| 8 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 269 km² | 269 km² |
| 9 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Maldives | 300 km² | 300 km² |
| 10 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 17/03/2026 01:24 PM | Malta | 316 km² | 316 km² |
The smallest country in the world is Vatican City, located within Rome, Italy, with an area of just 0.44 square kilometers.
Similarly, Monaco is the second smallest country in the world and the smallest member of the United Nations.
ELI5: Largest Countries in the World by Size
If you measure how much space each country of the world takes up, Russia occupies the most space with 17 million square kilometers.
Canada occupies the second-largest landmass in the world, with roughly 10 million square kilometers, while China and the U.S are close in size but not as extensive.
Sources:
Worldometer. | Mckinsey | The Guardian | World Population Review